Samuel (name)

Samuel (Hebrew: שְׁמוּאֵל Šəmūʾēl, Tiberian: Šămūʾēl)[1] is a male given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. From its appearance it seems to have the meaning of "God has set" or "God has placed", appearing to derive from the Hebrew Śāmū (שָׂמוּ)[2] + ʾĒl[3] (God has set/placed). The Hebrew śāmū is also related to the Akkadian šâmū (𒊮𒈬), which shares the same meaning.[4] However, from the explanation given in 1 Samuel 1:20, the name would seem to come from a contraction of the Hebrew שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל (Modern: Šəʾīltīv mēʾĒl, Tiberian: Šĭʾīltīw mēʾĒl), meaning "I have asked/borrowed him from God".[5][6] This is the verse in which the Prophet Samuel's mother Hannah names her son, after praying that she would be able to give birth. Her prayers having been answered, she dedicates the child to God as a Nazirite. Samuel was the last of the ruling judges in the Old Testament. He anointed Saul to be the first King of Israel and later anointed David.

Samuel
Samuel anointing David
PronunciationEnglish: /ˈsæmjuːəl, -jəl/
French: [samɥɛl]
Spanish: [saˈmwel]
Portuguese: [sɐmuˈɛl]
German: [ˈzaːmuːʔeːl]
Finnish: [ˈsɑmuel]
Slovak: [ˈsamuel]
GenderMale
Origin
Word/nameHebrew
MeaningGod has set, God has placed
Other names
Nickname(s)Sam, Sami, Sammie, Sammy
Related namesSam, Sammy, Samantha, Sameth, Samberg, Shmuel

As a Christian name, Samuel came into common use after the Protestant Reformation. Famous bearers include the American inventor Samuel F. B. Morse (1791–1872), the Irish writer Samuel Beckett (1906–89) and the American author Samuel Clemens (1835–1910), who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain.[7]

The name Samuel is popular amongst Black Africans, as well as among African Americans. It is also widespread amongst the modern Jewish communities, especially Sephardic Jews. It is also quite popular in countries that speak English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese, as well as in Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Translations

Feminine variants
  • Samuela
  • Samantha
  • Samuelle
  • Samuella
  • Samanta

Notable people

Samuel may refer to: (see also: Sam, Sammy, etc.)

Given name

A-C

D-I

J-P

R-X

Fictional characters
  • Samuel Gerard, supervisor of U.S. marshals in The Fugitive
  • Samuel Vimes, captain and, later, commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch in the Discworld series
  • Samuel "Zammo" Maguire, a main character in Grange Hill

See also

Notes
  1. Khan, Geoffrey (2020). The Tiberian Pronunciation Tradition of Biblical Hebrew, Volume 1. Open Book Publishers. ISBN 978-1783746767.
  2. "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 7760. śāmū".
  3. "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 410. el".
  4. "Akkadian Dictionary: Šiāmu/Šâmu". Assyrianlanguages.org.
  5. "I Samuel 1:20". Sefaria.
  6. "Radak on Genesis 5:29:1". Sefaria.
  7. Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Samuel". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  8. "తెలుగు - తెలుగు భాషలో పవిత్ర బైబిల్. ఆడియో వర్ణన తో - Telugu online Bible".
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